"One afternoon, while taking "lucky dips" into the day's sack of fan mail, John, much to both our amusement, chanced to pull out a letter from a student at Quarry Bank. Following the usual expressions of adoration, this lad revealed that his literature master was playing Beatles songs in class; after the boys all took their turns analyzing the lyrics, the teacher would weigh in with his own interpretation of what the Beatles were really talking about. (This, of course, was the same institution of learning whose headmaster had summed up young Lennon's prospects with the words: "This boy is bound to fail.")

"John and I howled in laughter over the absurdity of it all. "Pete," he said, "what's that 'Dead Dog's Eye' song we used to sing when we were at Quarry Bank?" I thought for a moment and it all came back to me:

Yellow matter custard, green slop pie,
All mixed together with a dead dog's eye,
Slap it on a butty, ten foot thick,
Then wash it all down with a cup of cold sick.

"That's it!" said John. "Fantastic!" He found a pen, commenced scribbling: "Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye...." Such was the genesis of "I Am the Walrus" (The Walrus itself was to materialize alter, almost literally stepping out of a page in Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking Glass') Inspired by the picture of that Quarry Bank literature master pontificating about the symbolism of Lennon-McCartney, John threw in the most ludicrous images his imagination could conjure. He thought of "semolina" (an insipid pudding we'd been forced to eat as kids) and "pilchard" (a sardine we often fed to our cats). Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower....," John intoned, writing it down with considerable relish.

He turned to me, smiling. "let the F*ckers work THAT one out, Pete."
Source(s):
Beatles, Lennon And Me' (originally published as "John Lennon In My Life", 1983, Stein and Day Publishers

Come together is a song about the casualties of war:
Shoot me!(badly wounded soldier in pain wants to be put out of misery)
here come flattop (soldier)
grooving up slowly (geurilla war fare)
hair down below his knee (carying and injured soul with long hair)
he bag production (tag em n bag em)
one & one & one is three (doing a body count)
hold you in his arms till you feel his disease (comforting a wounded soldier)
Come together,right now, over me! (members of the platoon all gathered around wounded soldier)

seriously? | Reviewer: sandusky | 10/28/09

Everybodys just gotta chill and enjoy the song man. And who ever the mj fan is should hold their piece because everyone else here would rather talk beatles than michael jackson. It doesn't matter how stoned they were when they wrote this if its a good song listen to it. If it doesn't make sense, enjoy it for the unique qualities. Long live the beatles.

Oh my GOD | Reviewer: Lucy | 9/14/09

Honestly, half of you sound so pathetic. Pretending you know why this song was written, and the meaning behind it. Try this on for size - maybe this song was written because The Beatles are absolutely amazing and know how to create beautiful, catchy, life changing songs? Just an idea. Get over yourselves guys, seriously, you sound like pretentious idiots.

Come Together | Reviewer: Brandon | 9/4/09

Just for the record, Emily, all that other stuff you said may be true (I happen to love this song) but Coca Cola has not had cocaine in it since the late 1920's. That doesn't mean that this is not what the song refers to, since it was more common knowledge back then that Coca Cola used to contain cocaine. And by the way...The correct lyric in verse 3 is "Hold you in his armchair, you can feel his disease", so get over yourself, Richard.

people have this big misconception that "the nature of rock is confusion" and then go listen to Linkin Park and Nickleback; i respect each person's opinions but to draw that misconception as a fact is truly an idiocracy beyond belief, especially since so many people have agreed to it, and especially at this song; it is clearly talking about a person here, and if it was for Timothy Leary, then that explains the line "shoots Coca-Cola" because back in the 60s Coca-Cola DID have cocaine. The line "he got hair down to his knees" is OBVIOUSLY saying "He's got really long hair" maybe like a hippie? If you can't draw the connection then you are quite dumb or quite not knowledgeable about American culture in the 60's. These lyrics describe the freedom of a person who is "good-looking" and has invited a person the they know to be free; and then the second half is talking about a threesome, first drawing a picture of a handsome rich young fella who is very down to earth (feet down below his knees is a down to earth person as opposed to a person having no feet below their knees, having a weak foundation) and counts "One and one and one is three" but he has to be Good-Looking 'cause he's so hard to "see" like a little jalapeno, a little carrot stub, a sexual reference to his male hardness.

Seriously you guys blind or dumb or something; oh right, stop smoking that blunt! It might be laced with coke! Don't shoot drugs!

Good Stuff | Reviewer: rollin | 7/24/09

they probly werent just stoned out their minds. this song is supposedly made for Timothy Leary (The High Priest) of LSD tht is. They found a letter Tim had and it was revealed after his death. John wrote thanking him for coming to their "love-in" thing and said he was writtin a song for his campaign, to run for Cali governor. It said "Dear Tim, I’m writing a song for your campaign. I’m calling it ‘Come Together, Join the Party!"

Brilliant | Reviewer: Brittany | 7/2/09

This song is so creative, I know drugs are bad but the Beatles made them so beautiful at the same time. Where else would "feet down below his knees" or "Walrus Gunboot" have been if they hadn't used drugs. I don't know, maybe they would have come up with those lyris without the drugs. I really don't care. This song is amazing and psychadelic. Makes you want to jump in a time machine and back it to the 60s' and 70s', but that will sadly never happen. PEACE and LOVE!!

I can kinda understand the whole song being "off the wall" while the Beatles were stoned but what the heck is Walrus Gumboot??? Anyone know? Guess you had to be stoned and there at the time the song was created. I love the melody and the atmosphere it creates but what the heck!!!!

T Shizzle | Reviewer: Trevor | 1/20/09

Everyone always says how they love the lyrics to this song, that they're original. But it's only because the Beatles were high off their rocker half the time. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE the beatles, but they were stoned during all their songwriting sessions. If you don't believe me, listen to benefit of Mr Kite, and Octopus's Garden, trippy stuff

i first liked beatles ,but then i realized how shit and awful their voice is.they sang like a bee.so disgusting vopice.so i stopped listening to them siunce then.but u know one thing gave them a respect and thats the great version of come together by michael jackson.the first day i saw the performance of michael for that song in his moonwalker short film i could not take my eyes from the tv.michael did it great.i still watch his performanne of that song.and listen to micxhael`s version of the song.he gave so much energy to the song that u can feel it.he sang it so energetic,sexy and artistic.michael made us forget the beatles for ever.

John Lennon would kick the idiot's ass who decided that he sings shoot me! walrus gumboled Ono is psychod Hold you in his arms till you can feel his disease, not armchair! You guys are deaf morons......it's really sad that you use John's art to make $

LUFF IT | Reviewer: 13 years old but their number 1 fan | 3/28/08

I LUV DA BEATLES!!! WHO DOESN'T!!! THEY R AMAZIN!!! LUV THEM ALL!! WHOOOOOOO LUV THIS SONG BUT I REALLY LUV THE SONG HE'S LEAVING HOME!!! WHOOOOOO XXXXXXXXXXX R.I.P JOHN AND GEORGE, BLESS YOU BOTH!!! XXX

I was eleven when the BEATLES turned our world upside down.
I'm a musician because of them.
Anybody who professes to know why,.. or understand the lyric of ANY rock song is having themselves on.
The "NATURE OF ROCK MUSIC" is "CONFUSION".
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT!!!
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEMSELVES...

Creepy... | Reviewer: Y | 2/8/08

Anonymous,

It is interesting that you say that song creeps you out! I always kinda felt that way too when i heard it. Glad i'm not the only one. Very interesting tune. Makes me wonder what it means...